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Published on: June 16, 2022
Bacterial proteome adaptation during fermentation in dairy environments
Berdien van Olst1, Avis Nugroho2, Sjef Boeren3
1Host-Microbe Interactomics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; TI Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
This study developed new methods to analyze bacterial proteomes in complex food environments like cheese. These advancements allow for better understanding of how starter cultures adapt and how to optimize their performance in fermented dairy products.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Food Science
- Proteomics
Background:
- Starter cultures, such as Lactococcus, are crucial for fermented dairy products.
- Bacterial adaptation to food environments, especially cheese, is difficult to study due to complex matrices.
- Understanding proteome changes is key to optimizing starter culture performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop robust methods for reproducible proteome analysis of lactococcal cultures in diverse food matrices.
- To investigate proteome adaptations of Lactococcus cremoris in response to different growth environments (lab media, milk, cheese).
- To identify how environmental changes during cheese manufacturing affect bacterial enzyme expression.
Main Methods:
- Developed novel bacterial harvesting and processing techniques for high-resolution proteome determination.
- Performed comparative proteome analysis of Lactococcus cremoris NCDO712.
- Analyzed cultures from laboratory media, milk, and miniature Gouda cheese.
Main Results:
- Established reproducible proteome analysis methods for challenging food matrices.
- Identified proteome adaptations in Lactococcus cremoris reflecting nutrient availability differences between lab media and milk.
- Observed subtle proteome changes during cheese manufacturing, including alterations in flavor-related enzymes.
Conclusions:
- The developed methods enable bacterial proteome evaluation in protein- and fat-rich food matrices.
- Preculture conditions can be adjusted to potentially steer starter culture performance.
- This research offers new avenues for optimizing fermented dairy product quality through starter culture management.
